Uncertainty looms amid slow recovery

China will face a complicated and uncertain situation abroad next year amid expectations that the global economy will grow slowly, according to the conclusions of an annual economic meeting.

A worker at a construction site for a railway station project in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Dec 6. HU XUEJUN / FOR CHINA DAILY

The two-day Central Economic Work Conference, which ended on Sunday, warned those in attendance about the increasing dangers of protectionism and the pressures that could arise from potential inflation and asset bubbles.

"The world economy has changed from the fast development period before the crisis to a period of deep transformation," said a statement issued after the meeting.

Economists also warned that the largest uncertainties for the Chinese economy next year may come from outside, as the European debt crisis lingers and the US economic recovery remains sluggish.